WMAs that Allow Dove Hunting
ByDo you know if WMAs allow dove hunting?
Some WMAs and lands that partner with the TPWD allow dove hunting. All of these lands require the TPWD annual public hunting permit. Here are their Public Hunting Lands.
Some US Army Corps of Engineer WMAs allow dove hunting. Each lake has different rules. Some require a USACE lake permit. Some require a TPWD annual public hunting permit. Some require neither. For example, Lakes Stillhouse Hollow and Belton near Austin don’t require any permits. But Lake Granger near Austin requires the TPWD annual public hunting permit. Here is their Hunting Guide.
Some US Fish and Wildlife Department National Wildlife Refuges (NWRs) allow dove hunting. They require Proof of Hunter Education for people born after September 2, 1971. They also allow only steel shot (which I’ve had bad experiences with) and only two boxes of shells. These include:
- Balcones Canyonlands (near Marble Falls)
- Buffalo Lake (in the Panhandle)
- Hagerman (in North Texas)
- Lower Rio Grande Valley
- Santa Ana (in the Valley)
Here’s a TPWD article on dove hunting in South Texas.
Although hunting a WMA can be rewarding they can be hazardous (people often don’t adhere to gun safety rules). I recommend that you don’t set up within shotgun range of people who you don’t know.
They also can be productive but are often only productive on opening day. FCS dove hunted at the Balcones Canyonlands WMA on September the 2nd a few years ago. As I recall, I only fired eight shots and killed three dove.